The Year of Wonders Being a literal and poetical translation of an old Latin prophecy, found near Merlin's cave, By S---n D---k [i.e. Stephen Duck] |
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 | The Year of Wonders |  |
In Law this Maxim has prevail'd full long,
That Kings are sacred, and can do no Wrong;
Sacred as Heav'n's immediate Substitute,
Hence 'tis inferr'd they should be Absolute.
From Majesty then all good Measures flow,
Pure uncorrupted Spring! ------ it must be so.
This seems, you'll say, to Bigotry inclin'd,
Infallibility to Man assign'd!
Whenever Royal Power is abus'd,
(Kings unimpeach'd) their Council are accus'd.
In publick, Kings this Sanction must retain.
In private, howe'er fallible as Men.
Thrice happy Britons! every Bard may sing,
Ours is a Gracious and Religious King!
Unrivall'd He in ev'ry Bosom reigns,
His Martial Fire for Britain's Peace restrains:
This the Effect of Prudence, not of Fear,
How unlike him his M---s appear?
They truckle to, and fawn on ev'ry State,
Court the Dependent, bribe the Obstinate,
Misplace Resentment, foolishly forgive,
Adventures, monstrous in Romance, atchieve!
Faithless Allies, they make invet'rate Foes,
In Negotiation ev'ry Point they lose;
Seek poor Expedients to divert a Storm,
And promise what they can't nor should perform:
Slight real Ills, imaginary, fear,
Dreading the distant, blind to Dangers near;
Ideal Phantoms form, themselves to scare.
Thus Boys and Women bug-bear'd, all in Fright,
Mistake each Shrub a Dæmon in the Night.
And half-bred Politicians, to a Man,
In Treaties maz'd, half Masters of a Plan,
Approving those they never understood,
Half wise, half mad, half any thing but good.
That Kings are sacred, and can do no Wrong;
Sacred as Heav'n's immediate Substitute,
Hence 'tis inferr'd they should be Absolute.
From Majesty then all good Measures flow,
Pure uncorrupted Spring! ------ it must be so.
This seems, you'll say, to Bigotry inclin'd,
Infallibility to Man assign'd!
Whenever Royal Power is abus'd,
(Kings unimpeach'd) their Council are accus'd.
In publick, Kings this Sanction must retain.
In private, howe'er fallible as Men.
Thrice happy Britons! every Bard may sing,
Ours is a Gracious and Religious King!
Unrivall'd He in ev'ry Bosom reigns,
His Martial Fire for Britain's Peace restrains:
This the Effect of Prudence, not of Fear,
How unlike him his M---s appear?
5
Court the Dependent, bribe the Obstinate,
Misplace Resentment, foolishly forgive,
Adventures, monstrous in Romance, atchieve!
Faithless Allies, they make invet'rate Foes,
In Negotiation ev'ry Point they lose;
Seek poor Expedients to divert a Storm,
And promise what they can't nor should perform:
Slight real Ills, imaginary, fear,
Dreading the distant, blind to Dangers near;
Ideal Phantoms form, themselves to scare.
Thus Boys and Women bug-bear'd, all in Fright,
Mistake each Shrub a Dæmon in the Night.
And half-bred Politicians, to a Man,
In Treaties maz'd, half Masters of a Plan,
Approving those they never understood,
Half wise, half mad, half any thing but good.
| The Year of Wonders | |